National Association of Hispanic Journalists announces Ana Real Scholarship, named for CBS News journalist

Remembering Ana Real, beloved foreign news editor at CBS News

The National Association of Hispanic Journalists on Wednesday announced the winners of its inaugural Ana Real Scholarship. CBS News and NAHJ partnered to create the scholarship in honor of Real, an award-winning journalist who died at age 60 of leukemia in March 2019.

The $10,000 scholarship is designed to support students whose pursuit of journalism closely aligns with Real's legacy. This year, it was awarded to Alanis Quiñones-Colón of the Universidad del Sagrado Corazón in Puerto Rico, and to Nathalie Nieves of CUNY Queens College in New York City.

Quiñones-Colón is the founder and host of a weekly radio program that focuses on student issues. Nieves is currently an assignment editor on the national desk for CBS News.

Real, who was born and raised in Nicaragua and lived in New Jersey, joined CBS News in 2001 and played a critical role in the network's original reporting on stories, including the young survivors of the earthquake in Haiti and the questionable practices of international adoptions, for which she won an Emmy.

As CBS News Foreign News editor, she managed teams of journalists around the globe reporting for several CBS News platforms, including "CBS This Morning," "CBS Evening News," and "48 Hours." In total, she earned two News & Documentary Emmy Awards for her work.

Alanis Quiñones-Colón (L) and Nathalie Nieves (R), the inaugural winners of the Ana Real Scholarship. CBS News

She was also a long-time NAHJ member and served as president of the organization's New York chapter.

"Ana was part of the heart and soul of this organization," CBS News president Susan Zirinsky said at the time of Real's death. "It didn't matter if you were an executive, a producer, a production associate. She stood up for you and made all of us better at our jobs."